Telford Tigers miss big chances in loss to the Phantoms

The Tigers lost for the second time this week as they fell short against the third-placed Phantoms in the NIHL National League on Wednesday.

But Watkins believes the result came down to a few key moments.

“It was a very tight game and could have gone either way with not much space offensively for both teams,” he said. “A couple of moments ultimately decide the game.

“Peterborough are very good in those tight situations, they score on their power play and we didn’t.

“We were guilty of not making our chances count when they came our way.”

Tigers did get off to a flying start, hitting the post twice in the opening minutes through Rory Herrman.

Herrman netted four times the last time these two sides met, and it was his strike that eventually broke the deadlock when he expertly tipped Danny Rose’s shot past Jordan Marr in the Phantoms’ goal.

The opener came mere seconds after Phantom’s Austin Mitchell-Smith was penalised for holding the stick and sent to the penalty box.

The lead lasted only seconds though as Phantom’s Ales Padelek equalised a minute later with a long-range effort.

Tigers struggled to replicate their first-period performance, with much of the second spent inside their own defensive zone.

Netminder Brad Day was called upon numerous times to keep the scores even heading into the third period, but a late penalty from Bradley Bowering put the Phantoms ahead.

Tigers rallied down the stretch and had numerous chances, but a third goal for the Phantoms, scored by Tom Norton in the dying seconds, sealed their fate.

It was the Phantoms who ended the Tigers’ play-off run last season when they defeated them in the NIHL Final Four, 3-1.

The Tigers continue their pursuit of this season’s play-off places at Sheffield Steeldogs on Friday night and currently sit 15 points off the Raiders in sixth spot.

They then host Swindon Wildcats back at Telford Ice Rink on Sunday (6pm).